Senior Business Partner & Director for Labor Relations

Seattle University

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Seattle University is seeking a Senior Business Partner & Director for Labor Relations to serve as a strategic partner and liaison between HR and leadership. This role will provide consultation, guidance, and interpretation regarding HR-related matters, including talent management, workforce planning, recruiting, onboarding, and other HR functions. The position will coordinate HR functions by balancing the needs of the school, college, or functional unit with the strategic objectives of the institution. The Director will advise leadership on people needs and effective change management practices, including support for reorganizations and workforce transitions. They will work closely with leadership, supervisors, and staff to improve working relationships, build morale, and increase productivity and employee retention. The role also involves providing support and consulting for employee relations, role and compensation design, talent management, and learning & development. Additionally, the Director will mentor HR business partners in strategic and tactical HR practices for ongoing professional development. A key aspect of this role is leading and overseeing the University's labor relations strategy, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities, legal requirements, and a constructive labor-management environment. This includes serving as the University's lead representative in collective bargaining, administering and interpreting collective bargaining agreements, managing the grievance and arbitration process, and advising senior leadership on labor relations risks and trends. The position also manages Seattle University’s ADA processes and assists in developing and implementing HR policies and procedures to ensure compliance with labor and employment laws.

Requirements

Demonstrated ability to develop and execute a comprehensive labor relations strategy while creating productive relationships between management and labor.
Effectively leverage knowledge of collective bargaining, grievance processes, contract administration, and labor laws, including the National Labor Relations Act.
Negotiate, complete, and administer effective and fair collective bargaining agreements.
Work independently, collaboratively, and across teams with a service-mindset.
Be discrete, with a ready sense of when and with whom it is appropriate to share information.
Analyze and leverage Human Resources trends and metrics in the development of effective solutions, programs, and policies.
Effectively apply a working knowledge of employment laws to workplace situations, including but not limited to EEO, ADA, FLSA, FMLA, etc.
Provide clear and impactful consultation regarding effective organization design, workforce planning, recruiting, selection, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, and delivering learning programs.
Communicate regarding human resource initiatives, programs, and updates in an engaging, clear and compelling fashion to all levels of the organization, from front-line staff, to faculty, to senior-most leadership, in both in person and online modalities.
Work effectively in an inclusive environment with diverse populations and varying work styles.
Handle stressful employment-related conversations, with the ability to deescalate tension and promote respectful, meaningful engagement with all parties involved.
Communicate effectively in writing on all manner of proactive and responsive HR-related topics and with all audiences.
Leverage strong interpersonal skills to develop and maintain good working relationships both inside and outside of the division.
Utilize HRIS, HRMS, PowerPoint, Excel at a level of high proficiency.
Bachelor’s degree in human resources, industrial relations, organizational development, a related field, or equivalent experience.
5 to 8 years of experience working in an HR business partner role, labor relations capacity, or related field.

Nice To Haves

Previous higher education work experience or exposure to higher education, or experience working in a complex matrixed organization.
A master’s degree in human resources or a related field.
Certification in Human Resource Management from the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) or the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Workplace investigation or conflict management experience.
LEAN Six Sigma or continuous process improvement experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic partner and liaison between HR and leadership, providing consultation, guidance, and interpretation regarding HR-related matters including talent management, workforce planning, recruiting, onboarding, and other HR functions as necessary.
Coordinate HR functions by balancing the needs of the school, college, or functional unit with the strategic objectives of the institution.
Advise leadership on people needs and effective change management practices, including support for reorganizations and workforce transitions.
Work closely with leadership, supervisors, and staff to improve working relationships, build morale, and increase productivity and employee retention.
Provide support and consulting for employee relations, role and compensation design, talent management, and learning & development.
Mentor HR business partners in relevant strategic and tactical HR practices for ongoing professional development.
Provide performance management guidance and counsel to leadership and supervisors at all levels to ensure consistent application of the institution’s performance management approach and guidelines.
Conduct fair and compliant workplace investigations, advise leadership on resolving employee concerns, and support risk mitigation related to employee matters. Support employee relations investigations escalated within HR.
Collaborate with HR colleagues and University Counsel on complex employee matters.
Guide leadership on employee transitions and assess workforce culture trends, developing strategies to enhance the employee experience and organizational effectiveness.
Foster a culture of professional growth and balanced advocacy for both employees and the institution.
Partner with work unit leaders to understand needs, consult on job descriptions, and collaborate with compensation colleagues to make recommendations regarding compensation and MMR classifications, internal equity, and employee salary adjustments.
In partnership with HR recruiting and talent specialists, support the effective recruitment, onboarding, employee development, engagement and retention of institutional talent.
Work with work unit leadership to identify training and development needs.
Deliver learning programs to staff at all levels within assigned divisions, from entry-level staff to executive-level coaching, as needed.
Lead and oversee the University's labor relations strategy, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities, legal requirements, and a constructive labor-management environment.
Serve as the University's lead representative in collective bargaining, including preparation, strategy development, and direct participation in negotiations, contract renewals, and memoranda of understanding; oversee post-ratification implementation of ratified agreements.
Administer and interpret collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), providing guidance to leadership on application, risk mitigation, and consistent practice across the institution.
Partner with university leadership to address complex union-related employee relations matters, including grievances, disciplinary actions, and dispute resolution.
Manage the grievance and arbitration process, including investigation, documentation, response development, and representation of the University as appropriate.
Build and maintain effective working relationships with union representatives, fostering productive dialogue and collaborative problem-solving.
Advise senior leadership on labor relations risks, trends, and workforce implications, including labor market dynamics, union activity, and relevant rulings from the NLRB and Washington's Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC).
Ensure institutional compliance with applicable labor laws and regulations, including the NLRA and related state laws, and monitor developments to proactively adjust practices.
Develop and deliver training for managers and supervisors on labor relations topics, including CBA administration, employee rights, and effective union engagement.
Conduct periodic assessments of labor relations practices and compliance, identifying gaps and recommending improvements.
Collaborate with HR and cross-functional partners to integrate labor relations considerations into broader HR strategies, workforce planning, and organizational change initiatives.
Prepare and present reports to senior leadership on labor relations activity, trends, risks, and recommended actions.
Manage Seattle University’s ADA processes in conjunction with University Counsel, Facilities, IT Services, and other institutional units.
Facilitate the formal interactive dialogue process between employee and employer, including requesting and evaluating medical documentation and engaging with third-party medical providers when needed.
Assess whether a requested accommodation poses undue hardship to the organization, and document the analysis and rationale for approvals, modification, or denials.
Track and periodically reassess accommodations as conditions or job duties change.
Provide training for other HRPBs and managers in the application of workplace accommodations.
Coordinate ADA accommodations with FMLA, workers compensation, and short/long-term disability where they overlap.
Respond to EEOC-related escalations related to disabilities in support of University Counsel.
Mentor HR business partners in ADA regulations and processes.
Assist in developing and implementing HR policies and procedures to ensure compliance with Local, State, and Federal Labor and Employment Law.
Analyze HR trends and metrics to develop solutions, programs, and policies that support institutional goals.
Perform other related job duties as requested.

Benefits

Generous leave
Health plans
Retirement contributions (up to 10% employer contribution: 5% nonelective + 5% match)
100% paid tuition benefits for the employee and dependents
Subsidized transportation benefit
Wellness program with free access to an onsite fitness facility
Wide variety of campus events
Generous holiday schedule, including a paid Holiday break closure in December
Vacation
Paid sick leave
Paid community service leave
Three different medical plans
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Life insurance
Short-term disability coverage
Long-term disability coverage